The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

On August 210, 8 BC, Qin Shihuang died on the Shaqiu platform while on tour. He was 28 years old.

Hu Hai, the heir of the Qin Dynasty, stayed in the bedroom of Qin Shi Huang like a lost soul. With empty eyes and a sad face, he stared blankly at Yi He tidying up the emperor's appearance.

Qin Shi Huang's once majestic body now lay there quietly. Yi He carefully wiped his body, changed him into solemn clothes, and then slowly placed his body into the coffin. The coffin was large and gorgeous, exuding a solemn atmosphere, as if telling the glory and honor of Qin Shi Huang's life.

It was Li Si's idea to keep the death a secret.

Although Hu Hai was the crown prince appointed by Qin Shi Huang, he should have been buried and succeeded to the throne, but Li Si believed that if the emperor died outside the country, there might be unrest among the princes and the empire. In order to stabilize the situation, it would be best to keep the death a secret and use the power of Qin Shi Huang to deter the evildoers. After returning to Xianyang, a grand funeral would be held to allow Hu Hai to ascend the throne.

Besides Hu Hai, Yi Huawei and Li Si, only five or six other people, including doctors and eunuchs, knew that Emperor Qin Shi Huang had passed away. Li Si had already put these people under close surveillance.

The coffin was placed in a chariot, and Yi Huawei personally escorted it. Every time they arrived at a place, they set up tents as usual, offered food, and the officials reported to the emperor as usual. Anyway, since the emperor was seriously ill, Yi Huawei and Li Si had been presenting the emperor. The few of them carefully maintained the illusion that the emperor was still alive.

In the chariot, the coffin of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was placed firmly. The surrounding area was constantly emitting a chilly air, which made people feel a bone-chilling chill the moment they approached.

The source of this cold air was that Yi Huawei filled the space around the coffin with a large amount of ice in order to delay the decay of Qin Shihuang's body as much as possible.

Yi Huawei knelt quietly in front of Qin Shihuang's coffin, his thoughts surging like the tide.

The sun will rise as usual tomorrow, and the world will lose an emperor who will be remembered forever.

It took only ten years from the destruction of Han in the 17th year to the destruction of Qi in the 26th year. With his outstanding wisdom and resolute decision-making, Ying Zheng accomplished the great cause that the Qin Dynasty's predecessors had dreamed of for hundreds of years.

From the 28th year to the 37th year, Qin Shi Huang once again embarked on a journey to conquer the barbarians and the barbarians. The territory of the Qin Dynasty continued to expand, passing Daxia in the north, crossing the Liusha in the west, reaching the East China Sea in the east, and reaching Beihu in the south.

At the same time, major projects such as building the Great Wall, repairing highways, building palaces, opening straight roads, and searching for elixirs were also carried out simultaneously.

The great unification, the standardization of the wheel gauge, the standardization of the writing system, and the standardization of ethics are all great undertakings that will benefit future generations. They laid the foundation for China. No matter how history changes, China will always be China, and the Qin government and laws will be followed for hundreds of generations.

"Your Majesty... I have done you a good deed by not letting Li Si defile your remains with rotten fish and shrimp..."

Looking at the coffin of Qin Shihuang, Yi Huawei showed a complicated smile and murmured to himself:

"It's not that I don't want to give up this elixir of life, but I can't give it to you!"

Qin Shihuang was stubborn and self-willed. If he could live forever, the consequences would be disastrous.

Qin Shi Huang's obsession with power was almost crazy. He pursued supreme power throughout his life and did not hesitate to take harsh measures to consolidate his rule. If he were to be immortal, he would continue to rule the world with tough measures, and the people would live in endless fear and oppression. He would launch wars more frequently to expand his territory and consolidate his authority.

Secondly, in the process of pursuing immortality, Qin Shihuang has already consumed a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources. He sent alchemists such as Xu Fu to sea to find elixirs and built huge palaces and mausoleums. These projects have brought heavy burdens to the people. And the immortal Qin Shihuang will continue this behavior of wasting money and labor. He will be more keen on building luxurious palaces and gardens and pursuing endless enjoyment. At the same time, in order to satisfy his desires, he will only increase taxes and corvée on the people, further exacerbating social contradictions and instability.

This is almost certain!
Furthermore, Qin Shihuang's ruling style has caused dissatisfaction and resistance among many people. The harsh laws and high-pressure policies of the Qin Dynasty made the people dare not speak out. If he obtains the elixir of immortality and continues to rule, this dissatisfaction and resistance will continue to accumulate, and may eventually lead to large-scale uprisings and turmoil. Once society falls into chaos, various forces will rise up and compete for power and territory. The whole country will fall into endless wars. This is undoubtedly a huge nightmare for the descendants of the Chinese nation.

Yi Huawei picked up a cup of sake, slowly poured it on the ground, and said softly: "Your Majesty, have a good journey! I hope you can see the eternal existence of the Great Qin in another world."

Yi Huawei is not the kind of saintly person who would naively say such empty words as "I hope there will be no war in the world".

Even if one day everyone can have enough food and clothing, war may not be completely eradicated.

Human desires are like an endless black hole that can never be filled. Just like Qin Shi Huang, after ascending the throne, he had the desire for immortality.

However, militarism is absolutely unacceptable. Such an extreme approach will undoubtedly cause serious damage to the foundation of the entire Chinese nation. Excessive wars will exhaust the country's financial, material and human resources, the people will live in dire straits, and the social economy will suffer a heavy blow. The country's development will stagnate and may even decline.

Fighting is an effective strategy. However, the population of Daqin today is less than 30 million, far from the time of population explosion.

When high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn are popularized and the population is facing an explosion, what Yi Huawei needs to do is to lay down a sufficiently vast and fault-tolerant territory for future generations.

...............

After two months of hard work, the team headed north to Hengshan County, then climbed Taihang Mountain through Jingxing Pass, then headed north to Yanmen County, then turned west to Yunzhong County and Jiuyuan County, and finally went straight south from Jiuyuan to Shang County.

When the outline of Xianyang City appeared in the distance, Li Si finally breathed a sigh of relief. This difficult journey was about to end, and the future of Daqin would usher in a new chapter.

"I have received the mandate from Heaven, ruled the four seas, started the imperial cause, and governed the people. Since I ascended the throne, I have worked hard day and night, not daring to slack off, to ensure the eternal stability of the country and the well-being of the people. Now I think the foundation of the country is to establish an heir to inherit the great throne and protect the eternal cause of our Great Qin.

My eighteenth son, Hu Hai, is kind and gentle, respectful, frugal, benevolent and filial. He has learned the law for many years, can distinguish right from wrong, abides by etiquette and rules, and has never committed any fault. He is kind and compassionate, treats his subordinates with leniency, values ​​righteousness over money, respects the virtuous and loves talents. Among all the princes, he is the only one who is virtuous and capable of great responsibilities.

Therefore, today, I have specially granted Hu Hai the imperial seal and made him the crown prince. I hope that he will carry on my aspirations, continue my work, manage the army and govern the country, protect the country and the people. Respect heaven and earth above, care for the people below, and promote the power of our Great Qin, and continue the prosperity of our Great Qin. I decree this! "

When Li Si read out Qin Shihuang's posthumous portrait in front of civil and military officials and announced Qin Shihuang's death.

For a time, Xianyang was plunged into a city of weeping… The first to cry were the people in the Qin Palace. The weeping sound was long and low, like a thread, and a heavy elegy chorus followed, slowly coming out from the towering yet cold palaces such as the Xianyang Palace, Zhangtai Palace, and Ganquan Palace. With an indescribable pressure, like a surging tide, it hit the hearts of the people of Xianyang fiercely, making people's hearts suddenly shaken, and instantly fell into confusion, not knowing what to do.

The news of Qin Shi Huang's death spread quickly, and soon, cries could be heard in every street and alley where the Qin people lived.

The cries rose and fell, interweaving into a sea of ​​sorrow. In the whispers on the streets, in the glances they exchanged with each other, or in the trembling gestures, they expressed the endless sorrow and shock in their hearts.

Qin Shi Huang, this great emperor, ruled Qin for thirty-seven years. For all the Qin people, His Majesty the First Emperor was like the shining sun in the sky, the eternal faith and support in their hearts.

Since childhood, people have been exposed to the elders' shouting of "Long live the emperor", which is full of respect and piety. So, they also shout "Long live the emperor", which seems to be a sacred oath and a hope for eternity.

Many people have seen the majestic and magnificent appearance of the First Emperor many times. The grand scene, like a brilliant painting, is deeply imprinted in their minds.

The golden dragon chariot shone brightly in the sun, and Qin Shihuang sat in it with a firm and majestic look, as if he could see through everything. Behind him was a mighty guard of honor, with flags flying and armor shining. The shocking scene made every Qin person who witnessed it feel the power and glory of the empire. They were proud to live in such a great empire and to have such a wise monarch.

Many people naively believed that the First Emperor would live forever and rule their descendants for generations. They had imagined the beautiful future countless times in their minds: under the wise leadership of the First Emperor, the Qin Empire would prosper forever, and their descendants would live happily on this land.

However, the cruel reality now, like a sharp sword, pierced their hearts fiercely. They were filled with confusion and anxiety, like a ship that had lost its direction, drifting on the vast ocean.

The emperor's funeral lasted seven days. Seven days after the announcement of the death of the First Emperor, the body was placed in the coffin and the funeral was suspended. This was called "funeral" and was moved to the funeral room. The whole process was solemn and dignified. During these seven days, the city of Xianyang was immersed in grief.

Inside and outside the palace, white banners fluttered, and the air was filled with the smell of incense. The ministers, dressed in plain clothes and with solemn expressions, silently kept vigil for the First Emperor. The people also spontaneously came to the vicinity of the palace, knelt down and cried, expressing their grief for the First Emperor.

One day after the ceremony, that is, November 11, Crown Prince Hu Hai officially succeeded to the throne as the Second Emperor.

…………

"Long live His Majesty!"

In the Xianyang Palace, Right Prime Minister Feng Quji and Left Prime Minister Li Si took the lead in shouting, leading the other officials to shout three times in reverence. The sound was so powerful that it echoed in the palace, as if it was about to break through the clouds.

Hu Hai was dressed in a plain linen suit, with the Tai'a Emperor's Sword on his waist, and he sat solemnly on the imperial couch. In front of the desk, the jade seal engraved with the Heshi Bi emitted a warm glow. Through the twelve tassels in front of his eyes, Hu Hai's eyes slowly swept over the civil and military officials.

As his ministers paid him homage, he arose in his heart a wonderful feeling, as if he had really transformed into a god standing in the clouds, overlooking all things in the world.

From now on...I can do whatever I want?
Zhao Gao didn’t lie to himself. It turns out that being an emperor really feels so…good?!
Fortunately, Yi Huawei coughed softly to remind him, and Hu Hai suddenly came to his senses and avoided losing his composure.

According to ancient rituals, the emperor was buried for seven days and in the seventh month. Although the First Emperor died on August 28, Li Si announced his death in early November. Therefore, the First Emperor's coffin could not be buried in the Mausoleum of Mount Li until June of the following year.

After Hu Hai came to his senses, his first imperial decree was to stop all other projects in Guanzhong, summon all prisoners and laborers to go to Mount Li, and summon skilled craftsmen from all over the world to contribute their skills to build a temple for the First Emperor.

In Hu Hai's mind, the First Emperor's achievements were supreme, and so should his temple.

In ancient times, the emperor had seven ancestral temples, where seven generations of ancestors were worshipped; the princes had five temples, and the officials had three temples, and the worship was abolished generation by generation. But Hu Hai believed that the First Emperor's achievements surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and also surpassed those of all his descendants in later generations. Therefore, the First Emperor Temple was revered as the ancestral temple of the emperor, supreme, and could not be destroyed even after thousands of years!
Then, the second imperial edict announced by Hu Hai was to promote Zhao Gao to the position of Prime Minister and to act on his behalf in issuing imperial seals and decrees.

As soon as this decree was issued, the court fell into silence. No one among the officials expressed any objection to this order.

Since Yi Huawei took office as the Minister of the Imperial Chariots, he has been in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Seal. In the past few years, Yi Huawei's various actions and style of doing things have indeed made it difficult for officials to find fault with him.

During his tenure as Shaofu, Yi Huawei handled affairs fairly and made decisive decisions. Whether handling government affairs or dealing with emergencies, he demonstrated outstanding talents and wisdom. He also actively promoted various reforms, strengthened centralization, and improved administrative efficiency.

At the same time, he used the profits from trade to win over a group of children from prominent families, and his dealings with others were such that everyone benefited equally.

Yi Huawei's efforts over the past few years have not been in vain, and he has been recognized by most officials, although everyone also noticed that Hu Hai seemed to obey Zhao Gao's orders. This made the officials feel a little uneasy, but they only muttered a few words in their hearts.

After all, Zhao Gao was a eunuch. In the eyes of the public, how much trouble could a eunuch stir up? Could he even plot a rebellion?

What's more, there are all kinds of magical tools invented by General Yilan, which make the operation of the entire Qin Empire smoother.

Yilan's inventions brought great changes to the Qin Empire. Last year, the grain production of the entire Qin Empire increased by 30% under the premise of mobilizing 3 million migrant workers. This amazing achievement also made all officials full of respect for Yilan. Now many places in the folk have built ancestral temples for Yilan to express their respect for her.

Seeing that no one among the officials below the stairs objected, Hu Hai issued the third decree.

In addition to the 700,000 laborers who built the Mausoleum of the Emperor Lishan, among the more than 2 million laborers who built the Afang Palace, the Qin Straight Road, the Great Wall and other projects, only prisoners and slaves were left to maintain and repair the projects, and the rest were all allowed to return home. After the completion of the project, the 700,000 laborers would be exempted from taxes for three years.

Immediately afterwards, Hu Hai issued the fourth decree - to re-establish the Palace of Doctors and recruit talents from the six places.

(End of this chapter)